LANSING, MI -- Michigan residents are unhappy with Gov. Rick Snyder and Republican state lawmakers, according to new numbers released today by Public Policy Polling, setting the stage for a series of competitive elections in 2014.

PPP surveyed 702 Michigan voters this weekend via telephone, asking them if they would be more likely to back Snyder or any of three potential Democratic challengers in 2014. A greater number of respondents said they would back Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero (43-38 percent), U.S. Rep. Gary Peters (44-37 percent) or former U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer (40-36 percent).

Overall, the weekend survey indicates that Snyder's favorability ratings remain at an all-time low. Only 37 percent of respondents said they approve of Snyder's job performance, while 54 percent disapproved and 9 percent were unsure. PPP reported similar ratings late last year just days after the governor signed controversial right-to-work legislation into law.

"Rick Snyder's poll numbers haven't seen any recovery since December," PPP President Dean Debnam said in a release accompanying the results. "The decline he saw following passage of the right to work law has not subsided, and right now it looks like he faces an uphill path for re-election."

Snyder has not yet announced formal plans to seek re-election, but he is widely believed to be positioning himself for another run. Asked about separate favorability ratings released last week, a spokesman for the governor said he was focused on fixing Michigan's economy not polls.

Based in North Carolina, PPP does private work for Democratic campaigns is considered by many polling experts to have a Democratic lean. The firm earned relatively high marks for its accuracy in the 2012 presidential election, however, and said this weekend's automated telephone poll was not paid for or authorized by any campaign or political organization.

The results did include some good news for the governor: A majority of Michigan voters (57 percent) expressed support for his decision to appoint an emergency financial manager in Detroit, while only 30 percent of respondents disagreed with the pending move.

In addition to giving Snyder poor marks, many Michigan voters surveyed this weekend also expressed their dissatisfaction with the GOP-led state legislature. A small plurality of respondents had a favorable opinion of Democratic lawmakers (41-38 percent), while a majority had an unfavorable opinion of Republican lawmakers (56-27 percent).

Asked who they would be more likely to vote for today if there was an election for the state legislature in their district, 48 percent of respondents said they would back a Democratic candidate, 36 percent said they would back a Republican and 16 percent were unsure.

Check below for additional questions and full results from the PPP poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percent.

Q1 Do you approve or disapprove of Governor Rick Snyder’s job performance?

Approve 37%

Disapprove 54%

Not sure 9%

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Q2 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Virg Bernero?

Favorable 20%

Unfavorable 26%

Not sure 54%

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Q3 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Gary Peters?

Favorable 17%

Unfavorable 18%

Not sure 65%

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Q4 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Mark Schauer?

Favorable 11%

Unfavorable 19%

Not sure 70%

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Q5 If the candidates for Governor in 2014 were Republican Rick Snyder and Democrat Virg Bernero, who would you vote for?

Rick Snyder 38%

Virg Bernero 43%

Not sure 19%

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Q6 If the candidates for Governor in 2014 were Republican Rick Snyder and Democrat Gary Peters, who would you vote for?

Rick Snyder 37%

Gary Peters 44%

Not sure 19%

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Q7 If the candidates for Governor in 2014 were Republican Rick Snyder and Democrat Mark Schauer, who would you vote for?

Rick Snyder 36%

Mark Schauer 40%

Not sure 24%

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Q8 Do you support or oppose the right-to-work legislation passed in Michigan late last year?

Support 39%

Oppose 48%

Not sure 14%

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Q9 Do you support or oppose Rick Snyder’s decision to appoint an emergency financial manager for the city of Detroit?

Support 57%

Oppose 30%

Not sure 12%

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Q10 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the Democrats in the Michigan legislature?

Favorable 41%

Unfavorable 38%

Not sure 21%

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Q11 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the Republicans in the Michigan legislature?

Favorable 27%

Unfavorable 56%

Not sure 17%

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Q12 Generally speaking, if there was an election for the state legislature today, would you vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate from your district?

Democratic candidate 48%

Republican candidate 36%

Not sure 16%

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Q13 In the last presidential election, did you vote for Barack Obama or Mitt Romney?

Barack Obama 51%

Mitt Romney 42%

Someone else/Don't remember 6%

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Q14 Would you describe yourself as very liberal, somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat conservative, or very conservative?

Very liberal 11%

Somewhat liberal 18%

Moderate 34%

Somewhat conservative 23%

Very conservative 14%

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Q15 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.

Woman 53%

Man 47%

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Q16 If you are a Democrat, press 1. If a Republican, press 2. If you are an independent or identify with another party, press 3.

Democrat 33%

Republican 29%

Independent/Other 38%

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Q17 If you are white, press 1. If African-American, press 2. If other, press 3.

White 78%

African-American 13%

Other 9%

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Q18 If you are 18 to 29 years old, press 1. If 30 to 45 years old, press 2. If 46 to 65, press 3. If you are older than 65, press 4.

18 to 29 15%

30 to 45 24%

46 to 65 40%

Older than 65 21%

Jonathan Oosting is a Capitol reporter for MLive Media Group. Email him, find him on Google+ or follow him on Twitter.